New UKRI Research Data Policy and accompanying guidance

The policy applies to all funding applications submitted to UKRI from April 2027.

At that time, the UKRI policy supersedes MRC Data Sharing Policy.

The UKRI policy sets out to harmonise approaches to data sharing across UKRI Councils.

However, the core principles broadly align with MRC’s current policy. The main changes are:

• Greater emphasis on ensuring that accurate data sharing costs are included in

  funding applications

• A requirement that all data is placed in a repository to facilitate sharing

• A requirement that for data about people, the repository must operate to The

  Five Safes Framework

UKRI has provided details of implementation of the policy, including a webinar on 25 November.

Additionally, MRC is expanding its monitoring of data sharing from MRC-funded research.

Work with the UK Reproducibility Network has shown that the underlying data was available in

about 40% of MRC-funded research publications in 2023. MRC is considering how best to increase

policy compliance, exploring how other Councils achieve this. UKRI will be in touch in the New Year

with more information, including how they intend to manage non-compliance.

If you have any questions about this, please email: alex.bailey@mrc.ukri.org